Submitted Photo From the left, Jason Zimmerman, Staci Kenney, Jill Wald and Perry Olson with the Minot Area Community Foundation present Shannon Ostrom, center, dean of students at Central Middle School, with a $2,400 check for the Central Middle School Food Pantry.

The Minot Area Community Foundation (MACF) has granted $2,400 to Central Middle School to establish a school food pantry.

According to a foundation news release, the grant was made possible through the MACF’s Arnold I. Besserud Fund. The fund is dedicated to serving food pantries, soup kitchens and humanitarian needs along with other priority needs in the community.

Central Middle School is a new middle school in the Minot Public School District formed following a realignment in the new school year. With the transition of the former Central Campus High School into a middle school, Central school staff recognized they would be starting from the ground up, needing to rebuild many resources that had previously supported students at their former middle school.

According to the news release, the newly established school pantry will be stocked with grocery items that are sent home with students in need each Friday to ensure students have meals over the weekend, along with snacks for student and classroom use.

“We are so grateful to the MInot Area Community Foundation for making it possible to start our school year out with a fully functional pantry to help meet the needs of our students and families. It’s been so exciting and fulfilling to see this come together,” Shannon Ostrom, dean of students at Central Middle School, said.

The grant funding will be used to purchase equipment like shelving, storage items, a refrigerator, freezer, and cooler bags for safe and discreet food transportation. Sixteen students currently benefit from the weekly grocery program, according to the release, and staff are confident that participation will continue to grow.

“The ongoing pressure of inflation continues to drive food insecurity issues,” Jason Zimmerman, MACF president, said.” “It is critical that we provide support to these efforts that make sure our developing youth have what they need to grow and be successful.”